After five years of burrowing though solid rock, water is flowing through underground tunnels at B.C. Hydro’s new John Hart hydroelectric facility near Campbell River.
“This is a big achievement for the project team and work crews ... five years in the making [since] B.C. Hydro and InPower B.C. worked out the agreement in developing this project,” said B.C. Hydro spokesman Stephen Watson.
“Our contractor managed through the underground rock removal process, then the underwater rock blasting while also successfully protecting water quality within the John Hart reservoir, and now they’ve successfully moved through the watering up process within the 2.2 kilometres of tunnels.”
Watson said the $1.1-billion project remains on time and budget.
Water from the Campbell River is diverted through a series of tunnels to gather speed and force to spin massive turbines which will produce power for B.C. Hydro’s grid.
InPower B.C. CEO Paul Saywer said there is still plenty of work ahead. Workers are on schedule to have the first turbine/generator producing power for Hydro by early summer. “We’ll maintain our steady focus through the facility commissioning in the fall. However, it’s nice to take a moment and think about how far we’ve come.”
Sawyer heralded a team that includes SNC-Lavalin, Aecon, General Electric and more than 100 local suppliers, services and subcontractors.
Watson said some initial cloudiness in the water coming out of the tunnel was expected with it fully passing through all of the tunnel sections for the first time, and that the water quality was monitored and stayed well within water quality compliance for downstream fish habitat.
“The water is now flowing through tunnels, but also the new water release valves on the downstream side of the John Hart dam,” said Watson. “One of the valves is designed to provide the year-round flows for fish habitat down Elk Falls Canyon. This is the first commissioning of the project works with the valves and the new water bypass facility, located within the underground powerhouse, being turned over to B.C. Hydro for downstream water management.”
Watson said the annual John Hart project community site event, the fourth and likely final event, will be held on Sept. 16 to provide people with the opportunity to go underground and see the powerhouse before it is fully commissioned in October. Details of the community site event will be provided in early June, including how to access a limited number of tickets, estimated at 1,200.
